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Re: Post Game Thread - Pacers @ Heat 12/18

Pitiful is referring to our play selection at the end of the game vs the quickest defensive team in the league. Yes, that was pitiful. Losing the game wasn't pitiful. The WAY the Pacers lost? Yes, it was.

Controlling 95% of the game, and losing by 3 to the two time defending champs on their home floor is pitiful? Must be hard living up to those standards.

What if someone from a school of business or management school were to ask, How did you do this? How did you get the Pacers turned around? Is there a general approach you've taken that can be summarized?

Re: Post Game Thread - Pacers @ Heat 12/18

The amount of blame falling on GHill for overdribbling is interesting.

If you watch him while he is dribbling, he is looking for an alternative. He isn't looking to beat his man, or clear space, or back someone down. He's looking for a passing lane.

When the defense gets between the rest of the team on the floor and the point guard - and this even happens to Lance and CJ - no one moves to try to open a passing lane for themselves or a teammate. This was happening all game but we were hitting the leftover jumpers - it was at the end of the game, when the jumpers stopped falling, that it became glaringly obvious.

Teams know that to disrupt our offense they just have to interfere with passing lanes and we'll settle for what we can get.

That's a feature of our offense I've been unhappy with for a long time. You can't have ball movement without player movement.

BillS

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Or throw in a first-round pick and flip it for a max-level point guard...

Re: Post Game Thread - Pacers @ Heat 12/18

The amount of blame falling on GHill for overdribbling is interesting.

If you watch him while he is dribbling, he is looking for an alternative. He isn't looking to beat his man, or clear space, or back someone down. He's looking for a passing lane.

When the defense gets between the rest of the team on the floor and the point guard - and this even happens to Lance and CJ - no one moves to try to open a passing lane for themselves or a teammate. This was happening all game but we were hitting the leftover jumpers - it was at the end of the game, when the jumpers stopped falling, that it became glaringly obvious.

Teams know that to disrupt our offense they just have to interfere with passing lanes and we'll settle for what we can get.

That's a feature of our offense I've been unhappy with for a long time. You can't have ball movement without player movement.

Amen.

This has always been the problem with our bench especially. A lot of standing around and watching the ball handler. We don't have a lot of good ball handlers on this team so off the ball movement should be a higher priority for this team than it seems to be.

I also hate that we don't take advantage of the Heat double teams and get rid of the ball quicker. Back out and invite the double team so you pull 2 defenders away, pass to the wing and that player needs to immediately drive to the basket. Then the corner player can baseline cut or the center can slowly fade to the opposite block. When the cutter or the centers man come to double the driver, you have an open man under the basket.

Re: Post Game Thread - Pacers @ Heat 12/18

Sorry I'm late to the party. Watched it from start to finish. We controlled this game, flat out. I kept telling myself though, "You watch, Miami will steal this at the end."

They did. Miami isn't a better team, but they are more seasoned, they have older guys and know how to execute down the stretch. This is the one area I think Indy needs to work on. I'm not blaming Indy for this, because in all actuality, Indy is still a young team, both age-wise, and NBA-wise, compared to Miami. What we saw was classic youth. David West is the only guy on this team with that down-the-stretch seasoning that Miami has in much more abundance than we do. We may have some experience... but we're out-classed by Miami in this one department.

This is the next step that Indy needs to take in their growth --- they need to grow and learn how to execute down the stretch and step on throats. It's a level of focus and concentration that is sort of acquired with time and experience. As of now, it's pretty obvious that in the crunch, we often get flustered and stop making plays on the offensive end, especially on the road against the league's best.

It's not the end of the world. In relative terms, like I said, we're still young. I think we've climbed the ladder in many areas --- if they can learn now how to fix this end-game execution thing that sometimes challenges them (which could happen still this year), they become that much more dangerous and then home-field advantage isn't near as important.

There are two types of quarterbacks in the league: Those whom over time, the league figures out ... and those who figure out the league.

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Re: Post Game Thread - Pacers @ Heat 12/18

I thought the turning point was when Paul airballed the wide open 3 he had. If he makes that, I believe they would've had the biggest lead of the night and the Heat players were already fighting over the defense, think that allowed them to relax a moment and they made a run shortly after that play.

"It's just unfortunate that we've been penalized so much this year and nothing has happened to the Pistons, the Palace or the city of Detroit," he said. "It's almost like it's always our fault. The league knows it. They should be ashamed of themselves to let the security be as lax as it is around here."

Re: Post Game Thread - Pacers @ Heat 12/18

I thought the turning point was when Paul airballed the wide open 3 he had. If he makes that, I believe they would've had the biggest lead of the night and the Heat players were already fighting over the defense, think that allowed them to relax a moment and they made a run shortly after that play.

That was a memorable moment, because Paul has hit a lot of those type 3's where he has a little to long to think about it. If he makes it we would have went up by 17, I think, I believe Hill missed a wide open 3 just after that that would have done the same.

Re: Post Game Thread - Pacers @ Heat 12/18

Controlling 95% of the game, and losing by 3 to the two time defending champs on their home floor is pitiful? Must be hard living up to those standards.

Look, you love the Pacers and so do I. We want them to win but above all, we want them to play smart in crucial situations. I said the endof game play calling was pitiful. Our unforced turnovers are also unacceptable. That's it. I stand by those comments.
Overall? they had to make every play down the stretch, get some really favorable officiating and have two of our starters play below their potential JUST TO BEAT US BY ONE BASKET on their home court so I'm very satisfied about that.

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Re: Post Game Thread - Pacers @ Heat 12/18

We lost to them by 3 points in Miami in a game where Wade shot 15-25 for 32 points only got to the free throw line 3 times. If he can do that 4 times against us in May/June then yeah we're going to lose to them, but he won't.

Re: Post Game Thread - Pacers @ Heat 12/18

Look, you love the Pacers and so do I. We want them to win but above all, we want them to play smart in crucial situations. I said the endof game play calling was pitiful. Our unforced turnovers are also unacceptable. That's it. I stand by those comments.
Overall? they had to make every play down the stretch, get some really favorable officiating and have two of our starters play below their potential JUST TO BEAT US BY ONE BASKET on their home court so I'm very satisfied about that.

There were several play calls after timeouts throughout the game where we ended up with nothing good. The players seemed confused a couple of those times. Maybe Miami did something different defensively that they weren't expecting. Would have liked to have seen better execution in those situations though.

I'm surprised no one's mentioned how well Lance held up defensively against Lebron. Did LeBron even score or assist in those 5 or 6 possessions? Something to look at down the line if it's needed.

Re: Post Game Thread - Pacers @ Heat 12/18

Look, you love the Pacers and so do I. We want them to win but above all, we want them to play smart in crucial situations. I said the endof game play calling was pitiful. Our unforced turnovers are also unacceptable. That's it. I stand by those comments.

I didn't think you had narrowed it down so much to just play calling and unforced turnovers. You said the way they lost was pitiful, and I take that much broader than those two examples.

Overall? they had to make every play down the stretch, get some really favorable officiating and have two of our starters play below their potential JUST TO BEAT US BY ONE BASKET on their home court so I'm very satisfied about that.

And there we agree. I don't think losing by 3 to the Miami Heat on their home floor, is pitiful. I was upset last night, but this morning it's actually encouraging. It was nice to see the Pacers hang in there, even without getting much out of Heat Killer Hibbert.

What if someone from a school of business or management school were to ask, How did you do this? How did you get the Pacers turned around? Is there a general approach you've taken that can be summarized?

Re: Post Game Thread - Pacers @ Heat 12/18

What if someone from a school of business or management school were to ask, How did you do this? How did you get the Pacers turned around? Is there a general approach you've taken that can be summarized?

Re: Post Game Thread - Pacers @ Heat 12/18

We lost to them by 3 points in Miami in a game where Wade shot 15-25 for 32 points only got to the free throw line 3 times. If he can do that 4 times against us in May/June then yeah we're going to lose to them, but he won't.

To me that is the biggest reason we lost Wade went insane.

When I saw Wade was having a big game, I thought we were going to lose. Even when we were up by 15+.

When Wade plays that well, we've always had a tough time beating the Heat. The past two playoff series, Wade has struggled, only to turn it on in the final games and give the Heat the lift they needed.

Now, they barely beat the Pacers this time with Wade playing so well..not a good sign for the Heat, IMO.

Unless something drastically bad happens to this team, the Pacers should beat the Heat in a series. And there has been nothing in these two games that suggest otherwise, to me.

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Re: Post Game Thread - Pacers @ Heat 12/18

I'm sure this article has been posted somewhere on this forum, but I couldn't find it in the five minutes I desired to look for it. Zach Lowe weighs in on Heat-Pacers:

12 Takeaways From Miami-Indiana, Round 2By Zach Lowe / http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-tr...ndiana-round-2
"The Pacers have coughed it up on nearly 20 percent of their possessions over the last nine games between these two, a "cover your eyes"–ugly rate that would be the worst in the league by a long shot."

Re: Post Game Thread - Pacers @ Heat 12/18

When I saw Wade was having a big game, I thought we were going to lose. Even when we were up by 15+.

When Wade plays that well, we've always had a tough time beating the Heat. The past two playoff series, Wade has struggled, only to turn it on in the final games and give the Heat the lift they needed.

Now, they barely beat the Pacers this time with Wade playing so well..not a good sign for the Heat, IMO.

Unless something drastically bad happens to this team, the Pacers should beat the Heat in a series. And there has been nothing in these two games that suggest otherwise, to me.

I totally agree. Things went the Heat's way most of the game. We did not play smart, we were careless and not focused. Wade was on fire. The Heat will be another 5 or 6 months older in May and we will be that much more mature and wiser. Time is not on their side and if we get HCA, I think we have them.

Re: Post Game Thread - Pacers @ Heat 12/18

When I saw Wade was having a big game, I thought we were going to lose. Even when we were up by 15+.

When Wade plays that well, we've always had a tough time beating the Heat. The past two playoff series, Wade has struggled, only to turn it on in the final games and give the Heat the lift they needed.

Now, they barely beat the Pacers this time with Wade playing so well..not a good sign for the Heat, IMO.

Unless something drastically bad happens to this team, the Pacers should beat the Heat in a series. And there has been nothing in these two games that suggest otherwise, to me.

Right the key here is that it took him 25 shots to score his 32 with only 3 trips to the free throw line. Wade has shot the ball well this year but even then that sort of efficiency is way over what they are used to getting from him. Especially after 14 or so playoff game he will wear down.

Re: Post Game Thread - Pacers @ Heat 12/18

At this point, the mental game is going to be 99% responsible for our fate against them in a series. From a physical and talent standpoint, we can certainly beat them. No question about that. So much of late playoff basketball is mental because the talent level between teams is relatively similar. The Heat have become wizards of mental toughness and understanding how to close teams out.

Re: Post Game Thread - Pacers @ Heat 12/18

I haven't read all the comments here. But, in the last 2 games, I feel as though that Lance should be the one initiating the offense at the end of games. When do we start doing that, especially if he's been ballin' during the game? I feel way more comfortable with the ball in his hands than Hill's.

PG24: "Don't tell me the sky is the limit when there are footprints on the moon!"

RT @Hoya2aPacer "When I play this game I love. I play to make my teammates better. But I'm a mouther****er on defense."

Re: Post Game Thread - Pacers @ Heat 12/18

I'm sure this article has been posted somewhere on this forum, but I couldn't find it in the five minutes I desired to look for it. Zach Lowe weighs in on Heat-Pacers:

12 Takeaways From Miami-Indiana, Round 2By Zach Lowe / http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-tr...ndiana-round-2
"The Pacers have coughed it up on nearly 20 percent of their possessions over the last nine games between these two, a "cover your eyes"–ugly rate that would be the worst in the league by a long shot."

The Pacers are in the Heat's head.....OMFG...I love that. Well written ( but typical grantland article with its trademark humor ) article.

Re: Post Game Thread - Pacers @ Heat 12/18

At this point, the mental game is going to be 99% responsible for our fate against them in a series. From a physical and talent standpoint, we can certainly beat them. No question about that. So much of late playoff basketball is mental because the talent level between teams is relatively similar. The Heat have become wizards of mental toughness and understanding how to close teams out.

Talking about mental toughness....I'm more concerned about Lance one day getting 2 easy technical fouls. The Refs are paying very close attention to him now...and I fear that he and West are the ones that could earn quick technicals if they don't keep their emotions in check. Seriously.....in a 7 game series...can you not see LeDecision prodding Lance enough to illicite some type of reaction from Lance? Remember the Heat game at home when Rashard and LeDecision was getting tangled up and some shoving back and forth with West ( which I suspect is possibly intentional to push West's buttons )?